


Five Weddings

by Aryn



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Alec Lightwood, Oblivious Magnus Bane, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2018-12-14 08:46:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11779560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aryn/pseuds/Aryn
Summary: Best friends Alec and Magus have very different views on weddings. Magnus loves them. Alec hates them. But neither of them know that through the course of a year, a series of weddings would change everything.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welp. I told myself I would never write a multi-chapter fic, but here I am. Yet again, I got an idea stuck in my head and I couldn't get it out. I'm a weak woman.
> 
> But I'm pretty excited to see what you guys think about this one! This chapter is the prologue, more or less, before shit gets real. I'm going to try to update this every week, and hopefully I'll stick to it. This shouldn't be a super long series, but I've told myself that before and it never turns out well. 
> 
> Find me on tumblr @steakandvodka
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!

****_Please join us for the wedding of  
_ _Lydia Branwell  
_ _&  
_ _Johnathon Monteverde  
_ _6:00 p.m. November 23, 2017  
_ _Park Chateau Estate and Gardens  
_ _East Brunswick, New Jersey_

“Okay, I know how much you hate these things, but even you have to admit this place is pretty damn beautiful.”

Alec grimaced as he took in the venue and the large crowd of people who were mingling around the ballroom. His face smoothed out when he saw the unimpressed look Magnus was shooting him, and he grabbed two glasses of champagne from a waiter passing them, knowing that would pacify his friend somewhat. 

“Did they have to choose New Jersey though?” Alec asked, handing a flute to Magnus. “There are plenty of gorgeous places they could've gotten married in in New York City, which would have been a much shorter drive for most of their guests.”

Magnus let out an incredulous laugh, drawing curious glances from some of the guests standing nearby. “You’re impossible,” he said. When Alec just shrugged, he continued. “Have you ever been to a wedding that you enjoyed?”  
  
Alec took a moment to think about that. He’s known Magnus for as long as he can remember  —  they grew up together, and they’d been to a lot of weddings in that time. Alec’s views on them had basically never changed. 

_“It’s all so cliché.”_

_“Such a waste of money. What a way to start a life together, $5,000 in debt!”_

_“No one actually cares about your relationship except for immediate family… maybe.”_

_“I bet those two don’t make it through the year. All this hoopla is gonna be for nothing.”_

Magnus had heard it all, but it never changed his opinion. Magnus _loved_ weddings. Alec said it was just because he loved parties in general, and he couldn’t disagree with that. But there was something special about a wedding. Magnus wasn’t sure if it was the decor, the new faces he met at each one, the open bars, or just the general atmosphere of love that was so endearing to him. He just loved them.

And he had to admit, the fact that he got to go to the majority of ceremonies with his best friend didn't hurt, even if his best friend was the biggest cynic in the world whenever he stepped into a chapel.

“I’ve been to too many of these things to feel anything other than exasperation by now,” Alec said in answer to Magnus’ question. 

Magnus narrowed his eyes at him. “I don’t buy it.”

“Buy what?”

“That you genuinely hate every wedding you go to,” he said. “You’ve been to dozens in your lifetime. You wouldn’t have gone to all of them if there wasn’t a tiny part of you that enjoyed it.”

“You’re acting like you ever gave me a choice in the matter,” Alec shot back. 

It was true. Alec’s biggest weakness came in the form of three people: Max, Izzy, and Magnus. Whenever any of them wanted something from Alec, they just needed to flash their wide eyes at him and tell him how much it would mean to them if he complied, and Alec was done for. With Magnus, he most commonly used this advantage when he and Alec were invited to weddings. Alec never stood a chance. 

Jace was still bitter that Alec never had a similar soft spot for him. 

“So there _is_ a little part of you that enjoys these things,” Magnus declared with a smug smirk. “The part of you that just aches to be in my presence. How very sweet.”

Alec fought back a blush and shrugged. “You’re okay I guess,” he said. Magnus didn’t know how true his words were, and Alec wasn’t about to bring any attention to it. That “little part of him” that loved being around Magnus wasn’t so “little” as it was “all encompassing,” but Magnus didn’t need to know that.

“I love you too Alexander,” Magnus replied, bumping Alec’s shoulder with his own. 

“I still don’t see why you feel the need to drag me along to every wedding you attend,” Alec said. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say it was _you_ who was looking for ways to be around me.”

“Of course I want you here! I would be completely lost at these receptions without my best wingman at my side.”

Right. Over the years of their friendship, Alec and Magnus had developed a sort of routine when they went out together. Magnus was the life of the party wherever he went, and Alec loved to watch him in action, but his larger-than-life personality caused people to flock to him. Being the introvert of the pair, Alec opted to stand to the side during most of their outings. This gave Magnus the chance to do his thing, while Alec could spend his time watching Magnus interact with the people around them. 

Then, one night when they were in college, Magnus spent the majority of his time flirting with one man, despite Alec’s warnings that there was something off about him. It wasn’t until Alec intervened to stop the guy from slipping something into Magnus’ drink when he wasn’t paying attention that Magnus realized Alec had a talent for reading people in a crowd. From then on, Magnus looked for Alec’s approval before he took someone home. And although there were plenty of other things Alec would rather do than vet the people his best friend wanted to sleep with, Alec figured it was better than Magnus getting into bed with a total nut job. 

“I would say I’m less of a wingman than I am a buffer to the insanity that lurks behind some of these pretty faces,” Alec said, looking around the room again and trying not to glare at some of the men and women who were already eyeing Magnus.

“Your judgment has never failed me. Once you give the all-clear, I know I’ve found someone special.”

“Really? Because I can’t remember a single relationship with someone you met at a wedding that lasted longer than a few days.”

“I don’t come to play the long game Alexander, you know that,” Magnus responded. Alec willed away a smile when he saw Magnus twirl his fingers on the rim of his champagne flute, an evil grin on his face. 

“Menace.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Magnus replied, taking their glasses and handing them off to a passing waiter. “Speaking of future prospects,” he said, shifting around to face the rest of the ballroom, “What do you think about the redhead a few tables over? The one with the green bowtie?”

Alec didn’t even need to look to know who Magnus was talking about, and he grimaced. “I caught his eyes lingering on your feet for way too long when he first checked you out.”

“Yuck. Hard pass. What about the woman with the dark hair and gold dress to the right of him?”

Alec was already shaking his head. “She stuffed her silverware into her purse when the waiters were clearing tables. And you’re wearing your expensive watch.”

“Good point,” Magnus said, clutching his wristwatch as he scanned the other guests. “Fine then, how about the tall one standing by the band? You know I have a weakness for a man who can pull off suspenders.”

Alec took a long, hard look at the man Magnus was referring to. A few seconds later, he let out a resigned sigh. “I suppose I don’t see anything too alarming about him.”  
  
“Such high words of praise, Alexander,” Magnus said. “Are you sure you don’t want him for yourself?”

“You know I’m no good at hooking up with people at weddings. I don’t know how you manage to end all your one-night stands so smoothly. Even when I attempt to approach someone, they always want a long-term commitment. They’re looking to be the next person who gets engaged,” Alec said. 

“Maybe that says something about you, Alexander. Maybe you’re more ready for a serious relationship than you think you are,” Magnus said. Alec thought his wording was a bit too carefully placed for it to sound natural, but he didn’t push it.

“Right, because my attitude just _screams_ that I would love to spend my next year planning a wedding,” he said.

“You sell yourself short, my dear,” Magnus said. “Any of these men would be lucky to have you.”

Alec turned to lock eyes with Magnus, and words failed him. He was frozen by the warmth in his gaze, confused at why Magnus was looking at him like that. But before he could read too much into it, Magnus broke his stare to glance down at himself and straighten his jacket. 

“Well, wish me luck! I’ve got a pair of suspenders to seduce,” Magnus said. With that, he pivoted away from Alec and took off in a confident strut toward the band. 

Alec watched him go, taking a moment to grab another glass of champagne. Now that Magnus was gone, it was just a waiting game until he felt it was acceptable for him to head out. He took a seat at an empty table and checked the time on his phone, scowling when he saw that he had at least another 45 minutes of this ahead of him. But before Alec could sulk too much, he was interrupted by a familiar voice. 

“You know, when you and I broke off our engagement, I was sure that you would be the first of us to end up hitched.”

Alec swerved around in his seat, beaming as he took in the blonde woman in the white gown standing before him. 

“Lydia!” Alec said, standing up to give the woman a tight hug. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you, but please sit down. It’ll give me an excuse to,” she said, and Alec laughed as he reclaimed his seat, Lydia taking the one next to him. “I feel like I’ve been walking around for days. I just finished talking with the last of John’s relatives when I saw you. I’m impressed you’ve managed to stick around for so long.”

“I’ve been talking with Magnus. He left just a few minutes ago,” he explained, gesturing with his glass at where Magnus was on the other side of the ballroom. Alec took a long swig as he watched Magnus laugh at whatever the other man said, leaning closer to grip his arm. He looked back to see Lydia smirking at him. 

“Right. You know, I really meant what I said a moment ago. When you and I decided to call off our wedding, I was sure that the next one I would be attending would be between you and Magnus.”

Alec avoided her eyes, his face red and skin tight. After a moment, he cleared his throat and shook his head. “You and I were never going to get married, Lydia. We were just the victims of our parents' misguided scheme to advance their businesses.”

“Sure, but it ended because you built up the courage to be honest with yourself and your family," Lydia said with a proud smile. "And who was it again that made you so comfortable with your sexuality? I believe it was a certain best friend of yours that you’ve been in love with since before you could walk.”

“Lydia,” Alec warned.

“Alec,” she replied, imitating his voice. “We made a deal when we called off our arrangement that you would finally muster up the nerve to make a move, remember?”

“That deal wasn’t binding,” Alec said. When Lydia let out a loud cackle at his response, he continued. “It wasn’t! We were drunk, and it was never put in writing.”

“Your stubbornness is one of the many reasons why I love you,” she said, becoming more serious once her giggling died down. “But it also is keeping you from happiness.”

“No, it’s saving me from inevitable humiliation.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do, actually,” he said, looking away from Lydia just in time to watch Magnus and the guy with the suspenders laughing together as they walked out of the ballroom hand in hand. He clenched his jaw and turned back to Lydia, who was looking at him with sadness in her eyes. 

“You’re a smart man Lightwood. You’re right about a lot of things,” the bride admitted as she stood up and smoothed out her dress. “But you can be incredibly stupid sometimes.” Lydia held up a finger to stop Alec from arguing. “Nope, I’m obviously not making any progress with you tonight, and I have many more guests to greet. I don’t have time to get through your thick skull today.” Lydia snatched his almost-empty champagne glass out of his hand and downed the rest of it. “You have my permission to get out of here though. I’m not going to let you be miserable here for another hour without Magnus to keep you company. Goodnight Alec.”

Alec didn't have the chance to respond as Lydia spun around, her skirt flowing around her, and disappeared into the crowd. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come talk to me on tumblr @steakandvodka
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!

_Robert & Maryse Lightwood_  
_invite you to join them_  
_as they renew their wedding vows_  
_in a symbol of their commitment to one another_  
_1:00 p.m. February 12, 2018_  
_Bay Ridge Manor  
_ _Brooklyn, New York_

“I can’t believe they are actually doing this.”

“Love makes people do strange things, Alexander,” Magnus returned, his tone heavy with sarcasm.

Alec scoffed. “Love,” he said, shaking his head. “People who are truly in love don’t do stuff like this.”

They were standing together by the raised platform set up at the end of a grand ballroom. Magnus watched as groups of middle-aged men and women — all of them in business attire — conversed with each other politely as they stood within the rows of seats filling the room. He looked back to Alec, who was also viewing the room with disdain while he absentmindedly fiddled with his wrist cuffs. Magnus took a step closer to him and reached out to grip his arms to stop his fidgeting. 

“Well, at the very least this gives Robert and Maryse a chance to show off the wonderful children they’ve somehow managed to raise,” he said, running his hands up Alec’s arms to straighten his tie. 

Alec managed a smile at that, but Magnus could tell it was strained. 

Magnus had never had the best relationship with Alec’s parents. When they were younger, it was mostly just cold glances and curt responses that Magnus had to deal with. But once he came out as bisexual in his early teenage years, their interactions deteriorated. 

Pretty much every time Magnus came over to Alec’s house, he had to endure the snide comments sent his way by Robert and Maryse. They targeted everything from his appearance, his sexuality, and especially his increasing presence in Alec’s life. Through it all, Magnus smiled and pretended to ignore it. His friendship with Alec was more important than the appalling behavior of his parents. 

It all came to a head when Alec was 19 and also came out of the closet. Robert and Maryse had tried to drag Alec into an arranged marriage with Lydia Branwell to benefit both families’ businesses, but Magnus and his siblings finally managed to convince him that his happiness was worth more than the success of their parents’ enterprise. 

Alec never told him much about that conversation, and Magnus didn’t press him on it. But Izzy told him that she had overheard Maryse lashing out at Alec and making accusations that Magnus' influence had turned him gay. Izzy told him that Alec was quick to rebuke her statement, and from there, the conversation shifted to address their abhorrent treatment of his best friend.

_“I’ve never heard my brother that angry,” Izzy said to him that night._

After that day, Magnus never heard another derogatory comment from Robert or Maryse again. It was still obvious that they didn’t love having him around, but it seemed they had reached a begrudging acceptance that Magnus was here to stay.

Magnus didn’t intend to give them any reason to change their mind about that. But as he watched Alec straighten out his posture, shoulders tensed and misery in his eyes, Magnus found himself clenching his jaw. It was always hardest for him to bite his tongue when he could see firsthand how their actions affected Alec.

“I just hate that they had to bring Max into this,” Alec said, looking to where his youngest brother was standing a few feet from them, talking to Jace. Jace, for his part, seemed to be doing a great job at keeping Max in high spirits. “Jace and Izzy and I, we all know our parents aren’t in love — they probably never were. But they didn’t need to drag Max along with this ridiculous scheme.”

“Max has you, Jace, and Izzy to show him what true love really is,” Magnus said. 

Alec eyes locked onto his for a long moment, and Magnus found himself lost in them until he realized how close they were standing. He took a step back, letting go of the grip he still had on Alec’s shoulders. “I mean, you all care so much about each other. You especially — you have been so supportive as their older brother. All of you are there for each other no matter what. That’s what love is. That's what matters."

Alec avoided his eyes, but was nodding at what Magnus was saying. Eventually, his eyes lingered on where Clary had joined Max and Jace’s conversation, one of her hands intertwined with the blonde’s. 

“At least Max will get to attend a real wedding this year,” he said with the ghost of a smile on his face. 

Magnus smiled in return at the couple. Jace and Clary had announced their engagement earlier that year. Magnus thought it was about time, and he knew he wasn’t the only one who felt that way. The two had been dating for almost five years before Jace finally proposed, but now the pair was looking at a short engagement, with their wedding planned for later that summer. Magnus agreed with Alec — it was nice to have something to look forward to. 

Before he could continue his conversation with Alec, Izzy approached them. Though she looked gorgeous in her floor-length gray dress, her face showed that she was anything but pleased. 

“It’s time,” she said. Down the aisle, Magnus could see Robert Lightwood making his way to the platform, stopping every few steps to shake hands with a colleague. 

“Let’s get this over with,” Alec said. 

“What a joyous occasion this is,” Magnus said to lighten the damp mood. “It’s a good thing I brought tissues. The woman in the seat next to mine already looks like she’s about to burst into tears.”

Magnus felt a sense of pride fill him when he saw Alec crack a small, grateful smile in his direction as he walked over to his seat. He bit his lip to stifle a laugh when the woman beside him glanced up at his arrival, regarding him with a bored look, before immediately looking back to her phone. At the altar, Izzy was hiding her grin behind her hand, but Alec was doing nothing to hide his smirk anymore. 

~~

“Well, it could have been worse.”

“Yeah, that was only the _second_ most uncomfortable situation I’ve ever been in,” Alec said, collapsing into a chair next to Magnus as guests filed into the reception hall. 

“As your best friend, I really should know what that top spot is, but I’m stumped,” Magnus said. At Alec’s unimpressed look, he shrugged. “You’re an awkward person Alexander. There are a lot of moments to choose from.”

Alec narrowed his eyes at that. “Come on, this one is obvious. Eleventh grade… when I asked Jessica Hawkblue to prom to stop the rumors that I was gay?”

Magnus snorted, drawing a few startled stares when he started cackling at the memory. “Oh my god! I think I had repressed that memory due to secondhand embarrassment,” Magnus giggled, ignoring Alec’s glare. “I’m sorry darling, but I have never seen you that stiff in my life, and that is saying _a lot._ ”

“You say the sweetest things.”

“Oh please, like you're just soft and fuzzy all the time,” Magnus said. He took a moment to stabilize his breathing, still recovering from his laughter at their memories of high school. “I still don’t get why you saw the need to ask her out. No one actually believed those rumors anyway, no matter how true they were.”

“I was 17,” Alec defended. “Name one 17-year-old who hasn't made a dumb life decision."

“I always make great life decisions, regardless of my age.”

“When you were 17 you tried to dye your hair glitter. _Glitter_ , Magnus. That’s not even a color.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Magnus denied. 

“I have the photos to prove it,” Alec said, unlocking his phone to scroll through his gallery of saved photos.

_“You still have those?”_ Magnus demanded, scooting his chair closer to grab at the phone. He huffed when Alec kept it out of his reach with his unfairly long arms. “I thought I deleted them!”  
  
“You did. But unfortunately for you, I had already sent them to Jace, who sent them back to me to save on my computer for all eternity. You’re just lucky I never posted them on social media. I’ve had blackmail on you for years, and I’ve never used it to my advantage. That shows how good a friend I am."

“I'm the luckiest guy in the world,” Magnus deadpanned. But he smiled a second later at the sound of Alec’s laughter, pleased that he seemed to be having a good time under the circumstances. “I would have gone with you, you know. To prom, I mean. That would have saved you a lot of time, to just confirm the rumors instead of trying to deny them.”

“That probably would have thrown a wrench into your campaign for prom king though.”

“On the contrary, I think it would have worked to my advantage, what with how much the students at that school loved to gossip.”

Alec conceded to his point with a nod, and then turned his gaze back to his phone. “Ah well, I guess we’ll never know.”

Comfortable silence ensued after Alec’s statement, and Magnus took the moment to observe his friend while he went through his apps. Magnus knew his main job that day was to keep Alec happy as much as possible, and he felt some success at the amount of times he made Alec smile throughout the day. But when Magnus looked closely at him now, he still noticed some weight in Alec’s shoulders, a byproduct of being the emotional rock for his other siblings. 

Searching for a way to lift that burden, Magnus’ eyes caught on the mostly empty dance floor, and a lightbulb went off in his head. He jumped to his feet, startling Alec, who nearly lost his grip on his phone. 

“Well, we could always recreate a little bit of prom right now,” Magnus said, and he extended his hand to Alec, who looked at him with wide, confused eyes. “Dance with me.”

“Magnus, you have had many good ideas in the past. This is not one of them.”

“Oh come on! I know you want to piss off your parents as much as I do. What better way to do that than to flaunt your devastatingly attractive, bisexual date in front of all of their stuck-up colleagues?”  
  
“You aren’t my date.”

“They don’t know that.”

Alec huffed and stood up, Magnus’ eyes lighting up as he thought Alec was accepting his offer, but he didn’t move to take his hand. Instead, Alec was looking around the venue, scanning the group of guests gathered together in the large room. 

“But, I mean… don’t you want me to like— help you find someone? I think I might’ve seen a woman a few tables over who…”

Magnus tuned out the rest of what Alec was saying, too distracted by his thoughts. Alec had never initiated a conversation about setting him up with someone before. He didn’t know how he was only realizing it now, or why it seemed so important to him, but it was. At all their other outings where Alec played wingman, it was always Magnus who approached him to ask what he thought about one of his potential partners. Alec was never the first to suggest anything, until now. Magnus didn’t know how he felt about it, but it wasn't a good time to dwell on it too much, as Alec was still rambling about his potential for hookups. 

“Alexander, your parents’ guest list is full of a bunch of business squares that are all at least 20 years my senior. Something tells me my options aren’t the greatest.”

“They’re not _all_ —”

“Alexander,” Magnus said again. “My main focus tonight is you. We don’t have to dance if you don’t want to, but it’s either that, or we sit back down and wait out the rest of the night, and that might involve talking with some of your parents’ business partners. It would be much easier to avoid those conversations if we were otherwise occupied, don’t you think?”

This thought made Alec stand up straighter. He took a glance around them, noticing how much closer some of his parents’ colleagues had gotten, and he quickly looked away as to not make eye contact and give any of them a reason to approach. When he looked back to Magnus, he was smirking, and Alec had to admit that that was a much more pleasant sight than the alternative he was faced with. 

“Screw it,” Alec said. The inside of his chest warmed when he saw Magnus’ eyes light up as he took his hand and led him out onto the dance floor.

The pair fell into a comfortable position as they swayed to the somewhat bland ballad coming from the speakers, one hand on the other’s shoulder and one arm around their waist. There were only two other couples dancing aside from them, Jace and Clary being one of them. Not even Robert and Maryse were together, each taking the opportunity to greet their guests separately. Magnus hid his smile into Alec’s shoulder when he met Maryse’s shell-shocked eyes. 

“Don’t look now, but I think your mother might just drop dead on the spot,” he said, and his smile grew wider when he felt Alec muffle his chuckles into the side of his head. 

“I know, the guests on my side don’t look too pleased either,” Alec said into his hair. “It’s like they’ve never seen two men dancing together before. What year are we in again? Did we somehow travel back to the Middle Ages?”  
  
“They’re just jealous, or possibly in the first stages of cardiac arrest,” Magnus said. “We make far too attractive a pair for their poor hearts to handle. It’s cruel of us, actually.”

This time, Alec didn’t bother to smother his laughter, and Clary looked over to them at the sound, her eyebrows raising at the sight of them dancing together. Magnus winked at her. 

“I never thanked you,” Alec said a second later. 

“For what?”

“For coming to this, even though it was terrible,” he said. “I’m sure there are plenty of other more interesting ways you could be spending your day, but I appreciate you being here.”

“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” Magnus said, tugging him an inch closer by the waist. “While I admit that ceremony was one painful hour of my life I will never get back, there is nowhere else I would rather be at this moment.”

With that, Magnus pulled him even closer so that their chests were pressed together, and hooked his chin over Alec’s shoulder. Alec, meanwhile, was just trying to keep his heart rate stable. He took deep, steady breaths, and tried not to put too much thought into what he had just heard. The memory of Lydia telling him he was an idiot flashed through his head, but he repressed it.  Alec knew from the observations of several people that he had a nasty habit of overthinking things, but it wouldn’t do him any good to be fooled by false hopes. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyyy, so it's been awhile, I know. I'm really sorry I let this story get away from me and haven't updated in several months. My life took an unexpected turn and I had to put off writing for awhile. But the good news is I'm back and the story is completely finished! The last two chapters are already written, so no more waiting long periods with no updates. I'll post chapter four next week and the last chapter the week after that. Thank you guys for sticking with this fic. I appreciate all of you immensely. 
> 
> Find me on tumblr @steakandvodka
> 
> And, as always, thank you for reading!

_Together with their nearest and dearest  
_ _Fabian Rayall  
_ _&  
_ _Camille Belcourt  
_ _Request your presence for the celebration  
_ _of their marriage  
_ _7:00 p.m. June 29, 2018  
_ _Midtown Loft and Terrace  
_ _Manhattan, New York_

“She didn’t.”

Magnus sighed and took a seat on the stool opposite Alec, both of them staring at the cream-colored invitation on the countertop between them. 

“It appears as though she did,” Magnus replied. 

“This isn’t even the same guy she cheated on you with!” Alec said, appearing even more offended than Magnus. 

“Well of course not, that was over two years ago. Camille isn’t capable of staying committed to someone for that long.”

Alec glared at the piece of paper as if it was the one responsible for his friend’s suffering, and not the she-devil who lived across town. Without warning, he pushed himself out of his seat and started rifling through the drawers in his kitchen.

“What on earth are you doing?”

“Looking for a lighter,” Alec said. Magnus looked even more perplexed. “Well, I don’t have a fireplace. What else do you suggest we burn this with?”

Magnus laughed and walked over to stand on the side of the counter Alec was on. “Hold on there hotshot.”

“Why?” Alec scoffed. He looked up at Magnus’ hesitant expression and froze. “Wait, you’re not considering _going_ to her wedding, are you?”

Magnus sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “I mean…”

“Magnus!”

“Just hear me out,” Magnus said, holding up his hands in defense. “If I don’t go, that gives Camille exactly what she wants, doesn’t it? She expects me to be upset by her audacity. She probably hopes I’m devastated that she’s getting married to someone else. She _doesn’t_ expect me to send back an RSVP.”

“Yeah, but if you attend, she’d only use the opportunity to make you miserable, and that will just make her day better,” Alec argued. “She’d probably spend the entire night rubbing her relationship in your face instead of paying attention to her new husband!”

“She won’t if I beat her at her own game.”  
  
Alec narrowed his eyes at the small smirk that was growing larger on his best friend’s face, mischief glowing in his gaze. “I don’t like that face. That’s your ‘I just got a terrible idea’ face.”

Magnus’ grin shifted from small to shit-eating, and he plucked the invitation from Alec’s hand, reaching for a pen with the other. “You’re probably right. If I showed up dateless, Camille would absolutely revel in the opportunity to remind me of how lonely I am. But what if,” Magnus trailed off to check the “plus one” box on the invite, “I showed up with someone?”

Alec pursed his lips. He didn’t love the idea, but he recognized the determined look in his friend’s eyes, and he knew what that meant. Magnus had made up his mind.   
  
“Okay, so what? You’re just going to go to a bar and pick a random person who is somehow willing to go with you to your evil-ex’s wedding?” Alec asked. “We’d need to find you a masochist with a craving for drama.”

“Oh, I’m not going to drag an innocent stranger into the dumpster fire that is my relationship with Camille. I’m not that cruel,” Magnus said, examining the invitation to avoid meeting Alec’s eyes. “Besides, knowing her, she would see right through my scheme in a second if I showed up to her wedding on the arm of someone she didn’t recognize. But what would _really_ annoy her is if my date was someone she knew… someone she’s butted heads with on repeated occasions… someone who saw right through her bullshit from the very beginning.”

By the end of his speech, Magnus was staring straight at Alec, whose eyes bugged out when he realized what Magnus was suggesting. 

“Magnus,” Alec said slowly, apprehension heavy in his tone.

“Oh come on, just think about it Alec!” Magnus gushed, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Think about how shocked Camille would be if I showed up to her wedding in a happy relationship with _you._ I know how much you hate Camille — you always have! You can’t say you’re not tempted by this opportunity to get a leg up on her for once.”

“This is a _terrible_ idea Magnus,” Alec said. “Have schemes like this ever worked out the way they were meant to, like, _ever_?”

“You’ve been watching too many rom-coms Alexander,” Magnus said, and he laughed at the flat look Alec sent him. “I promise it won’t be as difficult as you think. We wouldn’t even need to act all that different than usual. We can just ramp it up a bit when Camille’s around, but even then, it won’t take much to convince her. She was always paranoid about my relationship with you back when we were dating. It was a common accusation she used to guilt-trip me with.”

“It was?”

“Ironic, isn’t it?” Magnus said with a smirk, which fell a moment later as he took in Alec’s unnerved expression. “Look, if it makes you uncomfortable, we don't have to do it. We can burn this invitation right now and never speak of it again. But aren’t you just a little bit intrigued at the chance to get some revenge on Camille after everything she’s done?”

Alec looked at Magnus for a long moment, drawn in by the hopeful glint in his gaze. He shut his eyes and let out a deep sigh. He’d already made his decision, and he knew it. 

“You owe me so big for this,” Alec said, opening his eyes to glare at Magnus. He fought to maintain that glare and bite back a smile when Magnus beamed and jumped into his arms. “I’m talking big-time favors in my future. And I get to choose where we go out to eat for the next month.”

“I look forward to the plethora of bacon cheeseburgers in my future,” Magnus said into Alec’s ear. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah, just make sure we’re both well-dressed for the occasion. You know I’m useless at picking out formal wear, and it won’t do us any good if I show up looking like an idiot.”

“Oh, don’t worry your pretty head about that. We’re both going to out-dress the bride at this wedding, if I have anything to say about it,” Magnus said. He pulled back from Alec to glance at the invitation again, then looked back at Alec with a smug smile. “So, do you want the chicken, or the fish?”

~~

Camille’s wedding was just as pretentious as Alec expected. He knew he was a cynic when it came to weddings, but Alec could tell from the faces of the other guests that this one was truly pushing the limits of clichéd.

Because _of course_ Camille was late. Of course her dress had a huge princess skirt and a 50-foot veil. Of course Camille shed a few (fake) tears while reciting her vows. And of course, _of-freaking-course_  the couple’s first dance together was to “At Last” by Etta James. Alec suppressed a snort at this. Magnus was right. There was no way the bride and groom had known each other for very long — not if the vague details and predictable anecdotes given in those toasts were anything to go by. 

The smirk left Alec’s face and turned into a scowl when his eyes fell on the pink peonies and white roses arranged as the centerpiece for his table. Typical. 

“Ugh, that line for drinks is just atrocious,” Magnus said, plopping down into the seat next to him and passing Alec a glass of red wine. He took a sip of his martini, which was already half gone, and grimaced. “And absurdly expensive for the lack of quality. Doesn’t Camille know it’s tacky not to have an open bar?”

“Color me shocked,” Alec replied in a dry tone. Magnus smirked at him over his drink. “Camille has always been the picture of refined taste before now.”

“Tone it down over there, your sarcasm is suffocating,” Magnus said. Alec muffled a laugh into his glass. Just then, Magnus’ eyes caught something across the room, and he leaned toward Alec conspiratorially. Alec raised his eyebrows in interest. “Speaking of refined taste, did you happen to get a good look at our bride’s new husband?”

Alec scoffed in response. “That guy looked about as interesting as a tree trunk.”

“Right? God, I almost feel bad for him,” Magnus said, his wide eyes filled with a mixture of pity and amusement. 

“Don’t. He was the one who proposed to her. He knows what he’s getting into.”

“Speaking of which,” Magnus began, scooting closer so he could lay his free hand on top of Alec’s. “Camille has been inching closer to us ever since I sat down. I’d say we have less than two minutes before it’s showtime.”

“This isn’t a Broadway production Magnus. The more you hype up this interaction, the more you’re going to be disappointed by how it actually goes down.”

“Who said I’m hyping it up?” Magnus asked innocently, but he deflated when he saw the look Alec sent him. “Fine. I just really want this to go well, okay?”

“Magnus, it’s _Camille_. Nothing ever goes well around her. Even if everything goes according to plan, she’s going to find a way to slip in a venomous comment or two.”

“God, I hope so,” Magnus said. At Alec’s confused glance, he went on. “Look, trust me on this, as someone who spent far too much of his life in her company, I know that when Camille reacts to something with outright pettiness, it’s because she hasn't figured out another, crueler way to respond. If we get out of this with just a few cheap jibes, it means we’ve successfully gotten under her skin.”

“Huh. Camille never struck me as anything more than a conceited brat in any of my conversations with her.”

“That’s precisely why she hated you so much,” Magnus said. “Camille is nothing if you don’t give her a weakness to exploit, and you were a prime example of that. What’s worse is that she couldn’t just scare you away. You were both important to me and you refused to be bullied into submission. You were her white whale.”

“And we all know how that story ends,” Alec replied, sending Magnus into a bout of poorly muffled giggles, which Alec couldn’t help but join in on. So wrapped up in their own amusement, the two didn’t notice that the target of their jokes was heading straight for them.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my favorite Brooklyn boys,” Camille interrupted their snickers, gliding into their space with her arms outstretched for a hug. Out of the corner of his eye, Magnus spotted Alec downing the rest of his wine in one swig, so he reluctantly stood up and accepted Camille’s vice-like embrace.   
  
“Hello Camille, it’s certainly been awhile.”

“Oh, it’s been _ages_! Where did all the time go?” Camille responded with exaggerated enthusiasm and a cartoonish grin that set Magnus on edge. “We have some catching up to do, seeing as I’ve obviously missed some… interesting developments,” she said, her eyes shifting to Alec, who was now standing beside Magnus. 

Alec stared at Camille blankly for a second, but then, Magnus watched in astonishment as a slow smile took over his face, and his friend seemed to relax in front of the bride, even as he shifted his body closer to Magnus. “Congratulations Camille,” Alec said. “Your dress is lovely.”

Magnus and Camille blinked at him. Alec was not exactly known for his civility in his interactions with Camille. The only times he ever put in any effort was when Magnus specifically asked him to, and even then that only lasted until Camille did something to hurt Magnus, which Alec never let slide. 

But even in the moments where Alec did his best to bite his tongue around her, that was nothing compared to the Alec who was standing in front of Camille now. Magnus found himself just as stunned as Camille looked.

“Well, thank you Alec,” Camille said once she recovered from her shock. “It seems like someone finally learned their manners.”

Alec laughed off her comment. “Yeah, I guess you could say I’ve had a good influence,” he said, shifting even closer to Magnus to lay one hand on the small of his back. 

Watching Camille’s lips tighten at his movement, Magnus finally caught on to what Alec’s was doing. He was going off exactly what Magnus told him the day he received Camille’s wedding invitation.

_“Think about how shocked Camille would be if I showed up to her wedding in a happy_ _relationship with_ you. _”_

Because Camille knew the Alec who hated her just as much as she hated him. She knew the Alec who couldn’t help himself from fighting back whenever Camille goaded him. More importantly, she knew how to respond to that Alec in those situations.

What Camille was clearly _not_ prepared for was the Alec who was standing in front of her now. The Alec who was in a happy relationship with her ex-boyfriend — so happy that he didn’t need to fight fire with fire. Someone who wouldn’t engage with the petty games Camille was always trying to instigate. 

Magnus suppressed a smirk and moved so his side brushed against Alec’s torso. He was more than willing to play along with Alec’s strategy, especially if it elicited the sort of dumbstruck expressions from Camille that he was currently witnessing. 

“So,” Camille cleared her throat. “How long has… this been going on?”

“We just celebrated our six-month anniversary about two weeks ago,” Alec replied without missing a beat. “Magnus really outdid himself for this one. Harwich is gorgeous this time of year.”

Magnus waved off his compliment with a blush, but inside he was not surprised. Obviously he and Alec rehearsed all the important details of their fake relationship beforehand. They were taking this night seriously, after all. 

“How sweet,” Camille said with a dull look in her eyes. “I wish I could say I didn’t see this coming, but Magnus always was very _fond_ of you, even when we were involved.”

Magnus felt Alec stiffen next to him, and he held his breath. The weight Camille put on the word “fond” made it clear she was implying that Magnus cheated on her with Alec while they were dating. Magnus stayed quiet and willed Alec to remain calm, but he knew Camille always infuriated Alec most when she went after Magnus, rather than attacking Alec directly. 

“I’m not sure I understand,” Alec said, tension heavy in his voice. “Magnus and I only got together six months ago, long after you—”

“Oh, that is a _great_ story Camille, you must hear it,” Magnus interjected, placing a hand on Alec’s chest. A quick look between them was enough to communicate that Magnus would take over to tell the story they came up with on how they started dating to steer the conversation away from more unpleasant waters. “It was the night of his parents’ annual Christmas celebration. They throw it every year for all their business partners, and Alexander begged me to come with him to keep him entertained. I said I would need him to give me my Christmas present early to make up for it — obviously joking — but dear Alexander took it to heart. So, that night after the party, he took me back to his apartment and gave me this adorable hand-made scrapbook filled with all these memories of our time together, even way back from when we were toddlers,” he laughed and shook his head with a happy sigh. “Well, it was just so thoughtful and so very Alec that I… I couldn’t help myself anymore. So I kissed him, right there on his balcony.”

Much of that story was actually true, up to the point where Magnus kissed him. They decided that going with a true story would be easiest to stick to. 

“The only regret I have is that I wasn’t brave enough to make the first move,” Alec said, looking to the floor to hide his rosy cheeks. “Although I still think I should get credit for giving you the gift that gave you the push you needed.” 

“You just keep telling yourself that,” Magnus said, smirking. 

“Adorable,” Camille said with a thin smile Magnus could tell she was using to hide her gritted teeth. 

“I’m sorry Camille, this is your night, not ours,” Alec said. “It was a beautiful ceremony tonight, truly. How long did it take you to put all this together?”

“Oh, the time flew by,” Camille said. “It’s been just a couple months since he proposed, and honestly I would have married him much sooner if our parents allowed it. I haven’t known Fab for very long, but when you find the right person, you just _know_ ,” she finished with a side eye at Magnus, clearly intending to sting him with that line. But Alec wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction. 

“I couldn’t agree more,” Alec said, giving Magnus a meaningful look that made him freeze. Alec's eyes drifted down to Magnus’ empty martini glass, and he gestured to it. “You want me to get you another? I was just thinking about getting myself a refill.”

Eyes locking with Alec, Magnus knew what question he was really being asked. Playing nice with Camille was all well and good, but Alec _knew_ Magnus, and he knew that Magnus was craving some time alone with his ex so he could truly face off against her. This was Alec offering him that opportunity, and once again Magnus was reminded just how well his friend understood him. 

“Yes, thank you darling,” he said, handing him his glass. As Alec turned to grab his own wine glass from the table, Magnus leaned closer to whisper, “Not a martini though. Preferably something that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.”

Alec smirked and used Magnus’ closeness to plant a quick kiss to his cheek, sending a spike of heat from the point of contact all the way down Magnus’ spine. Alec took a step back from him and smiled. “I’ll come find you,” he turned to Camille. “It was great catching up with you Camille. Congratulations again.”

Giving a final nod to the bride, Alec pivoted and headed toward the bar, with Magnus and Camille watching him go. Magnus continued to look in his direction long after Alec completely melted into the crowd, although he could feel Camille’s gaze on him and knew a confrontation was imminent. After a few moments, he heard a quiet huff, and assumed Camille was done waiting. 

“I will admit, you have him trained well,” she said, glancing back in the direction Alec left. 

“I would invite you to try that again, Camille. And maybe don’t insult my boyfriend this time?” Magnus said with a hard edge to his tone, but Camille was too busy examining the large rock on her finger to reply.

“No matter,” she said dismissively, dropping her hand. “I suppose I should be congratulating you as well. I bet you’ve made a fortune off tonight.” Magnus narrowed his eyes at her in confusion. “Tell me, how much did he pay you to agree to this little scheme instead of letting you rip up my invite?”

“What on earth are you talking about?” Magnus asked, unsettled. 

“Oh please. The jig is up Magnus. I’ve known about your silly charade for weeks now,” Camille said, her perfect facade of a blushing bride completely overtaken by the cold glare she was shooting him. “After I received your RSVP, I decided to give our dear friend Simon Lewis a visit, and funny enough, he was not aware of any sort of romantic affair going on between you and Alec, let alone a six-month relationship.”

Magnus clenched his teeth and groaned. He should have known Simon would be the end of him. Of course, he and Alec decided not to tell their friends about their plan until after the wedding, because, well, even Magnus could admit that it sounded a bit insane. He really didn’t want to deal with anyone trying to talk them out of it.

Camille laughed. “Did you really think you’d be able to fool me with this? Come on Magnus, give me more credit than that,” she said. Magnus loathed the fact that she was now the one smirking at his misfortune. “I’ll ask again — how much did he pay you? I really am curious.”

“Don’t drag Alec into this,” Magnus said. “This was all my idea. I was the one who had to convince him to go along with it.”

At this, Camille furrowed her brows. “Wait. This was _your_ idea?”

Magnus shook his head at her, not comprehending why this detail of all things was so difficult for her to grasp. “Have you met me Camille? I’ve always been the one to come up with the crazy plans. Alec is the sane one out of the two of us — he’s basically my only voice of reason. Why would he think of doing something like this?”

“Because he…” Camille started, but she drifted off before she finished her thought. A wide-eyed look took over her features, and it gave Magnus a sinking feeling. He couldn’t remember seeing Camille speechless before. “Oh,” she said. 

“What?”  
  
Slowly but steadily, Camille’s stupefied expression morphed into a huge grin that filled Magnus with dread. She looked like the cat that got the canary. “You don’t know,” Camille said, her voice filled with glee. 

Magnus rolled his eyes at her. “Camille, for once in your life would you cut the dramatics and just say what you want to say?”  
  
“Trust me Magnus, this time the drama is entirely your own doing,” she said, chuckling to herself and shaking her head at the apparent absurdity of the situation. Magnus was at a loss for words, struck silent by this new attitude Camille was displaying. This was the most genuinely happy Magnus had ever seen her. For someone who just got married a few hours prior, Camille looked like Magnus had just given her the best news of her life, but Magnus knew that would not mean good news for him. 

“You know, I’m almost disappointed in you, Magnus. Here I thought you were just as cruel as I was, but it turns out you’re just blind,” she sighed. “What a shame.” 

Her condescending words enraged Magnus into speaking. “What the hell are you going on about Camille?”

She shook her head, and if Magnus didn’t know any better, the look she shot him could almost be described as pity. “Magnus,” she said. “That boy has been in love with you for years. Probably his entire life, if I had to guess.”

“What? No he’s not,” Magnus scoffed at her, but he could feel his skin heating up at her suggestion. Suddenly his collar felt far too tight. 

Camille’s eyebrow raise was distinctly unimpressed. “Honestly Magnus. Why do you think I had such a problem with him? More than that, why do you think Alec stuck by your side despite all the shit I threw at him? I may be a bitch, but at least I’m aware of what I’m doing to people.”

Magnus wanted to tell her to stop, to proclaim that she was wrong, but his voice would not cooperate. His mind was too busy running back through years and years of his memories with Alec, from when he was with Camille and even beyond that, trying to find evidence to prove Camille’s statements were false. But the only moments that were coming to mind were times where Alec held his gaze for a little too long, or came through for him when no one else would, to which there seemed to be an endless supply. 

He didn’t know what to think. A big part of him was telling him not to believe a word Camille was saying, because he knew how skilled she was at manipulation, and he knew that she found joy in spreading toxic lies. But he also knew that much of Camille’s manipulations were based in reality, that she has the ability to hone in on someone’s deepest insecurity and take advantage of them that way, rather than making up fictional tales. He knew that a majority of Camille’s lies were just exaggerated truths or lies by omission, rather than outright fibs. 

All through his inner turmoil, Camille was observing him with a smirk. “That’s why I thought this plan was his idea. I thought you knew, and you were just allowing him to indulge in this little fantasy for a night — for the right price, of course. That’s what I would do. Someone that loyal is too useful to pass up,” she shook her head, and that almost pitying expression returned to her face. “But no. You’ve been blissfully ignorant this whole time, haven’t you? You’ve probably been sending him mixed signals left and right, completely unaware that you were making him think he stood a chance, only to dash those hopes a second later. And here you are tonight, allowing him to pretend that this is all real, at your own suggestion no less, and letting him get a taste of everything he’s ever wanted, knowing full well that this is all he’s ever going to get—”

“Shut up Camille,” Magnus said. “Just stop.”

Instead of goading him further, Camille smirked at him one last time before resuming her perfect-bride persona. “You always did have the best timing Magnus.”

Before he could grill Camille on what that meant, Magnus heard a voice call out from behind him. “Camille, you’re still here? I had no idea we were so important to you.”

Wide-eyed, Magnus turned to see Alec approaching them again with a large smile, a glass of wine in each hand. Once he got close enough, he handed one of them to Magnus.   
  
“I guess Magnus and I just lost track of time,” Camille said with a gleeful shrug. “I really should get going though. Fab has a huge family to greet,” she made to turn away, but looked back at them one more time with a warm expression that Magnus knew held no honesty. “I just really want to say that I am so happy you two found each other. You really are perfect together.”

Alec thanked Camille as she left to visit other guests, while Magnus watched her stonily. When he saw Alec turn to look at him, he blinked rapidly to shake himself out of it. 

“Things looked pretty tense back there when I was coming back to you guys. Are you okay?” Alec asked. 

Magnus stared at him, at a complete loss for what to say. He knew this setting, in the middle of all Camille’s friends and family, was not the right place to bring up what Camille had told him. Steeling himself to make it through the rest of the night, Magnus smiled at him and said, “I’m fine,” taking a large gulp of his wine to finish out his statement. 

~~

Magnus nodded along as Alec laughed about the insane things he had overheard while Magnus drove them home later that night, mind running a mile a minute. His fingers tapped against the steering wheel as he turned onto Alec’s street, his heart picking up speed. 

“You would not believe what happened to me at the bar,” Alec said, giving Magnus a pointed side-eye that he did not catch. “The bartender actually slipped me a piece of paper and asked if I could give the groom his number! Can you believe that?”

“Hmm,” Magnus replied absently.

“Okay, that’s it,” Alec said, shifting in his seat so he could look at Magnus directly. “What is going on with you?”

“What do you mean?” he asked just as he parked outside Alec’s apartment building.

“Come on Magnus, don’t do this to me,” he said with fire in his eyes. “You’ve been nearly catatonic the whole night. I know it has something to do with your conversation with Camille, and it’s been killing me that you won’t tell me what’s wrong. I thought you had the upper hand when I left to get our drinks. What did she say to you that rattled you so much?”

After a long pause, Magnus braced himself and said, “Camille knew we weren’t together.”

“What?”

“Camille, she knew the whole time. After she saw that I was taking you as my date, she talked to Simon and he told her that we weren’t together.”

Alec let out an angry sigh and leaned his head back against his seat. “I’m going to kill him,” Alec declared. “Simon Lewis is dead, you hear me?” When Alec turned to see the somber look on Magnus’ face his glare softened, and he continued in a more gentle tone. “Magnus, I am so sorry. I never should have left you alone with her. But you have to know that whatever Camille said to you—”

“Are you in love with me?”

The humming of the car’s engine was the only sound in the thick silence that followed Magnus’ question. Alec gaped at him, looking like his whole world was crumbling before his eyes and he was helpless to stop it. Magnus didn’t really know what he expected when he confronted Alec like this, but dead silence certainly wasn’t it. 

“Camille said that you’ve been in love with me for years, before she and I were together. She said that was the only reason you stuck around, even though you could she was making me miserable,” Magnus continued when Alec said nothing. “But, listen — I know Camille is an extremely manipulative person, and I don’t know what to believe right now. So I’m sorry, but I need to hear it from you… Is it true?”

The silence continued. Alec had looked down at the floor as Magnus spoke, and now he would not meet Magnus’ eyes, but Magnus could not look away from him. His reaction was starting to scare Magnus, because he could not remember any other time in their friendship when Alec had responded to a direct question by simply shutting down. Alec always appreciated directness — he was the most straightforward person Magnus knew. It was one of his best qualities. Magnus was always the one who bottled up his deepest emotions, and Alec was the one who got him to open up. Now, with their positions reversed, Magnus found himself at a loss. 

“Alexander?”

Magnus calling his name seemed to spur Alec into action, but again, it wasn’t the action Magnus was expecting. He shook his head with a breathless laugh and started fumbling with his seatbelt. “Okay, nope. Nope, not gonna answer that,” Alec muttered to himself. 

“Alexander, what are you doing?” Magnus asked as he watched Alec unlock his seatbelt and begin a new struggle with the lock on his car door. He looked like he was starting to hyperventilate, and Magnus had to stop himself from reaching out and touching him, not knowing how his contact would be received.

“I’m sorry. I just…” Alec knew that not saying anything now answered Magnus' question just as well as any words would. But too much was happening in his head right now, and he wasn’t going to allow this conversation to happen because of Camille. Not after her goddamn wedding of all things. “I’m not— I can’t deal with this right now,” he said. Finally, Alec got the door open and jumped out of this car, Magnus completely helpless as he stared on from the driver’s seat. 

“Alec, stop!”

“Goodnight Magnus,” Alec called as he all but ran into his building, leaving Magnus staring at where his best friend disappeared and wondering what the hell just happened. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at me, actually getting a chapter installment in a bit early for once! Only one more chapter left, I wonder what happens next ;)
> 
> Find me on tumblr @steakandvodka
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!

_Join us for the wedding of  
_ _Clary Fray  
_ _&  
_ _Jace Lightwood  
_ _9:00 a.m. July 14, 2018  
_ _Woodhaven Manor  
_ _Queens, New York_

“Alec, where did you set my bowtie?”

Alec rolled his eyes at his brother’s question. Giving up on his cufflinks, he called out, “On the stool in your dressing room, like I’ve told you at least seven times before.”

He turned around to find Jace — fully clad in his tuxedo, sans bowtie — on all fours as he looked under a large chair in his search. When he looked up and saw the unimpressed look on Alec’s face, he smiled sheepishly. “Oh, right,” he said, standing up and brushing off his pants. “Would you mind grabbing it for me? Izzy’s texted me about a dozen times in a panic… Something about a caterer — and if it’s anything to do with the food, I want her as far away from it as possible.”

“Let me handle that. You just worry about getting ready,” Alec said. 

“But I need you to handle the bowtie situation.”

“Jace, it’s literally in the next room.”

“No arguments!” Jace insisted. “This is my special day, and you’re my best man. You have to do what I say. It’s my privilege as the groom.”

“Right. And this is different from any other day because…?” Alec asked, one eyebrow raised mockingly. 

Jace glared at him. “Just go.” 

Alec lifted his hands in surrender and made his way out of the room. Really, of all the nightmarish scenarios he imagined leading up to Jace and Clary’s wedding, he had to admit the day was going pretty smoothly, missing bowtie and catering drama aside. For once, Alec was actually grateful for all the chaos wedding prep involved, as it provided a welcome distraction from the complete train wreck that was his personal life at the moment. 

The last time Alec saw Jace’s bowtie, he had placed it on top of the stool right by the door inside the groom’s dressing room. So when he entered the room and found the stool empty, he was puzzled. So puzzled, he didn’t notice the door closing on its own right behind him. 

“Looking for something?” A familiar voice asked from across the room.

Alec froze and looked up to see Magnus fiddling with the baby blue bowtie in the corner of the room. 

“Don’t try running away this time. I have Jace standing guard,” Magnus said. 

Alec glared at the door, hoping that the force of his stare would be enough to burn through the wood and kill his traitor of a brother on the other side. When that didn’t happen, he closed his eyes and leaned against the door, trying to prepare himself for the conversation he was nowhere near ready to have.

“It’s funny,” Magnus continued when Alec said nothing. “For someone who supposedly hates weddings, you sure have devoted a lot of your life in helping Jace and Clary with theirs. If I didn’t know any better, I would think you were coming around to them.”

Alec winced. Though his words stung, Alec knew Magnus was right. The last two weeks had been a special kind of hell. Alec could not remember the last time he went so long without talking to Magnus, but he was just so embarrassed after that conversation the night of Camille’s wedding that he couldn’t think of any other alternative. As a result, Alec threw himself headfirst into Jace and Clary’s wedding planning to avoid thinking about it, which raised many eyebrows from his friends and family. He was thankful that his brother never brought it up, but he knew Jace was suspicious.

But Alec’s busy schedule didn’t stop Magnus from trying to contact him. He wasn’t proud of himself for hiding in his room and pretending he wasn’t home when Magnus came knocking the day after Camille’s wedding, but he couldn’t bring himself to answer the door. After about a week of Alec ignoring his multiple texts and voicemails, Magnus seemed to give up on trying to talk to him whatsoever. 

He should have known Magnus would not surrender so quickly. 

“Magnus, I—”

“I’m sorry,” Magnus interrupted. “That was unfair of me. I’m the one who should be apologizing to you.” At this, Alec opened his eyes and turned to look at his friend, who appeared genuinely regretful. “I am so sorry Alexander. I never should have sprung that conversation on you like that, without any warning. It was completely out of line. Camille caught me off guard that night, and I was flustered, and I never make good judgment calls when it comes to her, but you didn’t deserve to be dragged into that mess in the first place. I was wrong, and I’m sorry.”

Alec stared at him, heart aching at the look on Magnus’ face. He missed his best friend, and he could see Magnus missed him too. The guilt ate at him, knowing that he was solely responsible for both their misery. 

“I’m sorry too, for ignoring you these last few weeks. You didn’t deserve that either,” Alec said.

Magnus smiled at him. “Apology accepted.”

Alec let out a breath, but the weight on his shoulders didn’t retreat like he thought it would after he gained Magnus’ forgiveness. There was still a thick tension between them, made worse by the fact that Magnus continued to stare at him, as though expecting him to say something more. But the clear answer to what Magnus was looking for wasn’t something Alec was at all interested in bringing up, so instead he pivoted and gestured to the door. 

“Well, now that that’s settled, you wanna get back out there?” Alec asked. 

“You didn’t think I had Jace guarding the door just so we could apologize to each other, did you?” Magnus said, and Alec’s heart sank. Of course he wouldn’t get off so easily. “Alexander, I admit I shouldn’t have broached that topic so abruptly as I did that night. But, given your frankly alarming reaction to the subject, it’s clearly something we need to talk about, don’t you think?”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Alec said.

Magnus let out a soft, disbelieving laugh. “Are you serious?”

“Yes, Magnus. Look, this issue is… it’s— it’s my problem, you know? You don’t need to worry about it. I don’t _want_ you to worry about it. I’m dealing with it, and once I do we can just move on like none of this ever happened, okay? Problem solved.”

“So that’s it?” Magnus said, his eyes hardening by the second. “That’s your genius solution? You’re just going to continue to ignore me until you feel comfortable being around me again? Don’t you think that’s a little unfair to me?”

“I’m sorry Magnus, but this is the only option.”  
  
“No it’s not, and you know it. We’ve always solved our problems by being honest with each other before, why does this have to be different?” Magnus asked. When Alec pursed his lips and remained silent, Magnus felt the frustration in him build. He scoffed and rubbed his temple. “This is ridiculous.”

“If it’s so ridiculous, then why are you bothering yourself with it?” Alec said, anger clearly building in him as well.

“Because, Alec, you’re my best friend, and I want to get to the bottom of this.”

Alec sighed. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Magnus.”

“You don't know what I want you to say,” Magnus repeated, looking like he couldn’t believe what Alec just said. “It’s pretty simple, actually. Just tell me the truth. Are you in love with me?”

A beat of silence, and all the air seemed to deflate out of Alec, the fire in his eyes burning out to turn his expression into something sad, something desperate. 

“Magnus, please don’t do this,” Alec said. 

“I’m sorry Alec, but we need to be direct with each other or we’ll never figure this out,” Magnus said. 

“I told you, this is _my_ issue. You don’t need to trouble yourself with it.”

“It’s _our_ issue, Alec, and all I need is an answer.”

“You _know_ I can’t—”

“Yes or no.”

“I’m only doing this so we can—”

“Oh, for God’s sake Alec, just answer the question!” Magnus shouted.  
  
“Yes!” Alec yelled, stunning Magnus into silence. “Okay? Yes. _Of course_ I’m in love with you! But that isn’t even important right now!”

_“How is that not important?”_ Magnus yelled back at him, willing back an incredulous laugh at how insane their situation was. 

“Because we’re friends! We’re best friends, and it’s great, it’s _amazing_ , but I’ve fucked it all up by having these feelings for you! That’s not how friendships are supposed to work, and I don’t want you to feel obligated to act a certain way around me because of it! And I know I’ve been an asshole for the past couple of weeks, and I’m sorry, but I can’t face you before I figure out how to be around you without ruining everything, so could you please—”

Alec didn’t get to finish that sentence. Shaking himself out of his stupor at Alec’s words, Magnus took two long strides forward, cupped Alec’s face with both hands and kissed him firmly.

Alec’s stomach swooped and he lifted his arms to grip Magnus’ sides. In a second, he was kissing Magnus back just as hard, causing Magnus to tighten his fingers in Alec’s hair and pull him closer with one sharp inhale. He could feel Magnus’ heart pounding against his chest, and Alec tried to ignore how his skin seemed to be buzzing, putting all of his focus into memorizing the feeling of Magnus’ lips against his own.

After a few moments, the kiss slowed down into something sweeter, their lips brushing against each other in gentler pecks. Each time one of them tried to pull away, the other leaned back in for more until they were left softly giggling against each other.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Magnus said when they finally broke apart, mere inches between their faces. “But during that rant it started to sound like you don’t believe I love you back, and I just couldn’t let that go on without correcting you,” he said, and if any air still remained in Alec’s lungs, it was surely gone now. “How is that possible? How could I not love you, you impossibly kind, impossibly beautiful man?”

Alec fought the urge to drag Magnus back into another deep kiss, all the more tempted by the sight of Magnus chasing after his lips. He lifted one of his hands to rest on Magnus’ chest and asked, “Wait, so all that stuff about me being your wingman, that was…?”

Magnus sighed and glanced down, suddenly looking somewhat embarrassed. “My weak attempt at hiding my own feelings for you? I don’t know,” he said, laughing softly at himself. “I guess even though I thought I couldn’t be with you, I still wanted to be around you as much as possible.” Magnus tilted his head to give him a playful look that made Alec’s heart stutter. “Also, there may have been a small part of me that was hoping you would use the opportunity to suggest yourself as a match for me.”

Alec sputtered out a laugh, ignoring the heat rising to his cheeks. “You know I’m no good at detecting hints like that.”

“You’ve always been able to read through me… at least about most things,” Magnus added with a smug grin when Alec raised his eyebrows. His expression sobered a moment later. “I’m sorry about that, by the way. If I’d had even a hint of how you truly felt, I never would have flaunted all my exploits in front of you like that.”

Alec scoffed, but the look on his face held no malice. “I’ve heard I wasn’t exactly subtle about it.”

“You’re harder to read than you think, Alexander.”

“Magnus, I cannot tell you how many of our friends have pulled me aside over the years to ask when I was finally going to make a move,” Alec said. While his tone was flat, Alec’s smile was anything but, unable to help it as he stared into Magnus’ sparkling brown eyes. 

Magnus hummed and leaned forward to rest his forehead against Alec’s. “I guess that makes us both idiots.”  
  
Alec chuckled against him, finding himself quickly growing addicted to the feeling of Magnus’ fingers running through the hair at his nape. “Somehow, I can live with that.”

Magnus didn’t respond right away, opting to simply bask in the moment, with both of them breathing the other in. A few beats later, he whispered, “I love you,” in the centimeters between their lips. 

And well, Alec just couldn’t let that go without following it up with a kiss, this one much shorter than the last. “Say it again,” Alec said when he pulled away.

Magnus grinned at him. “I love you,” he said, and Alec kissed him again. He continued to murmur, “I love you, I love you, I love you,” each moment they stopped to take a breath, and each time Alec kissed him for it, until finally their lips remained connected, both lost in each other. 

“Are you two almost done in there?” Jace called through the door a few minutes later, causing them to break apart in surprise. “Because I _would_ like to get married sometime today, if that’s okay with you.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well we all knew this was coming...
> 
> In all seriousness, I want to thank everyone so much for sticking through this story. It definitely took me a lot longer than I wanted to get it all finished, but it's finally done and I'm pretty proud of the end product. I hope you guys like it!
> 
> Find me on tumblr @steakandvodka
> 
> And as always, thank you for reading!

_5:00 p.m. May 2, 2020  
_ _Brooklyn Winery  
_ _Brooklyn, New York_

“Knock knock.”

Alec smirked and, through the mirror on his vanity table, watched as Magnus poked his head through the door. He smiled when he saw Alec was the only one there, and walked all the way into the room, closing the door behind him. 

“Isn’t this against the rules?” Alec teased as Magnus made his way over to him. 

“I never pegged you as someone who believes in silly old traditions like that.”

“I’m not, but my sister is, and she’s scarier than the both of us.”

“What Isabelle doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” Magnus said with a dismissive wave. Once he was standing right behind Alec, he tapped the back of his chair. “Up, up.”

Alec followed his orders and stood, unable to help the fond look on his face as Magnus moved in front of him and finished straightening his tie for him. “What are you doing here anyway? I would’ve thought you would be spending every moment you could preparing until the very last second.”

“I am. One of the things on my to-do list was to check on you, to make sure you’re doing okay,” Magnus said as he smoothed his hands down Alec’s jacket, giving him a playful look as he did so. “I know this isn’t exactly your thing.”

“I don’t know,” Alec said, shrugging with a lopsided smile. “I think I’m coming around to these things. They might have some merit to them after all.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying all along,” Magnus said, smirking. His expression softened a moment later as he wrapped his arms around Alec’s neck. “Seriously though, I really appreciate how amazing you’ve been through all of this. I know it’s been crazy, and you probably would have preferred something smaller, but—”

“Magnus,” Alec interrupted in a gentle voice. “I’m serious, none of this has been a hardship for me. I really have enjoyed the last eight months,” he said, and Magnus could see in his eyes that his words were genuine. “I know I haven’t been super enthusiastic about weddings in the past, but something about marrying the love of my life has made me take a more positive view on this one.”

Magnus just stared at him, a slight shake of his head giving away that Alec had once again surprised him — something he’d consistently achieved since childhood, and even more so in the past two years. 

“I love you so much,” he whispered, pulling Alec closer. 

“I love you too,” Alec said as he closed the space between them. 

After almost two years together, Alec thought he would have gotten used to the feeling of kissing Magnus by now, but he never did. Just like the first time, he could feel his heart swell in his chest and a familiar warmth spread to his toes. On instinct, his arms raised to wrap around Magnus’ back and hug him closer to his chest. Magnus let out a happy sigh in response, one hand gripping Alec’s lapel and the other curled around his jaw.

“You look stunning by the way. Did I say that already?” Alec said breathlessly a moment later when they pulled apart. His eyes raked over Magnus’ form, fully dressed in a brand new suit. 

“You did not, but it’s okay, I already knew that,” Magnus said, smugness radiating from his grin. He gave Alec a quick once over as well. “Although I must say, I think you’re giving me a run for my money today, Mr. Lightwood.”

“Please. As if anyone could compete with you,” Alec said with a scoff. “No one's going to be able to tear their eyes away from you up there.”

“Hmmm, flattery will get you everywhere,” Magnus said, tightening his grip on Alec’s jacket again to pull the man back in for another deep kiss.

Alec smiled against Magnus’ mouth. It did not take long at all for Alec to become addicted to his lips, not that he was surprised. Magnus, in turn, seemed just as eager to press kisses against various parts of Alec’s body as much as possible, and would often leave soft pecks on his shoulder, his neck, his hands, whenever he was given the chance. Today though, Magnus seemed intent on focusing his attention on Alec’s mouth. 

“Magnus,” Alec said when they paused for breath. He chuckled when Magnus immediately cut off his next attempt at speech with his lips once more. He broke away a second later, holding the other man off with a hand on his shoulder. “Magnus, we’re gonna be late if we keep this up.”

“It’s fine,” Magnus breathed between them, kissing Alec briefly between his words. “I allotted plenty of time for this on my to-do list.”

Alec’s laugh was muffled by Magnus again. And if Magnus was willing to stay there with him as opposed to facing the certain chaos that lurked behind his dressing room door, well then Alec was not going to complain. He let himself get lost in Magnus instead, both of them so distracted by each other that they didn’t hear the distinct sound of heels clacking against the tile floor of the hallway getting louder as it neared their room.

Three sharp raps on the door caused the pair to finally jump apart. 

“Magnus, I know you’re in there!” Izzy yelled. “Now, I’ve let you two have your moment alone together, but I’ll be damned if I allow either of you to be late for your own wedding because you were too busy sucking face.” 

Magnus laughed against Alec’s shoulder. “Well, she certainly doesn’t mince words.”

“You love it. Don’t lie,” Alec said, smirking into his hair. 

Magnus lifted his head to give him a warm look. “Not as much as I love you,” he replied, brushing his finger along Alec’s chin and snickering when Alec rolled his eyes at him.

“Ugh. Save that sappiness for the vows, would you?”

Magnus beamed at him. “Glad to see some things never change,” he said. With a sigh, he slowly started walking backwards away from his fiancé and toward the door. “Well, I should get going before your sister drags me away herself. I’ll see you out there in a few minutes?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr @steakandvodka


End file.
